Price of Loyalty
by Penelope Clemence
Summary: S2 Finale AU. The trip to Acre to save King Richard ends in the most unexpected way. The price of utter and unconditional loyalty might be very high. Loyalty has a reverse side. The love triangle of Robin, Marian, and Guy is untangled differently.


_This is a long one-shot about Robin Hood, Marian of Knighton, Guy of Gisborne, Sheriff Vaisey of Nottingham, King Richard, and the outlaws._

_Season 2 finale AU. The trip to Acre to save King Richard ends in the most unexpected way. The price of utter and unconditional loyalty might be very high. Loyalty has a reverse side. The love triangle of Robin, Marian, and Guy is untangled differently._

_Undoubtedly and unfortunately, I don't own any characters and the Robin Hood BBC show. In addition, several characters are introduced by myself._

_Hope you will enjoy the story._

_Reviews are appreciated. Constructive criticism is always welcome._

* * *

**Price of Loyalty**

King Richard the Lionheart came to the meeting place for peace negotiations in time. He was alone and waited for Sultan Saladin. For some time, he stood motionless, looking around at the sandy dunes, thinking that all seemed to welcome the new day. Suddenly, he saw an unknown Saracen riding towards him on an agile, black Arabic stallion. The Saracen was well dressed, wearing expensive black clothing in the Muslim fashion, and he was armed with a golden Saracen scimitar sheathed in a golden scabbard.

Richard tossed his head as if he sensed that he was in danger. The Saracen didn't look like Saladin. The first thing that attracted Richard's attention was the newcomer's age: he was too young to be the great military commander of the Turks whom the King of England had been fighting with for so long. There was something strange with the Saracen, and the king felt uneasy and suspicious.

Richard swept his eyes over the sandy dunes, sighing deeply. Suddenly, he heard quiet snickering of several horses somewhere nearby. His heart sank into his throat as he understood that he was being watched by someone else. For a short moment, the king was quiet, his mind racing through the explanations he failed to find. He was desperately trying to dismiss the possibility of walking into the trap out of his mind, yet still the feeling of uneasiness and the sense of betrayal lingered.

The king scrutinized the approaching figure of the Saracen once more. The realization struck him like a physical blow that was more powerful than anything else – the Turk couldn't be Saladin. The realization dawned upon him: he had been deceived by the so-called Saladin's envoy and willingly walked into a trap. Robin was right that the new regicide attempt on Richard's life had been planned.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Vaisey of Nottingham and Sir Guy of Gisborne were hiding behind the sandy hill, their chests pressed tightly to the burning soil. Sir James of Kent, the treacherous Crusader and the current head of the king's private guard, was with them. They all were in an elated mood, expecting to see how the assassin would kill Richard. Vaisey jested that it was the beginning of the Golden age in England.

The Saracen stopped and dismounted. He didn't bow to the king and grinned insolently, his dark eyes sparkling with a danger light. "I am not really Saladin," he said in English.

"We have already understood that," Richard responded in highly accented English.

The king swiftly unsheathed his broadsword. The Saracen also drew his sword and lunged at the king. Richard blocked the diagonal blow and plunged his sword at the assassin's head. The Saracen merely twisted his body to avoid the blade, and Richard again lunged at his opponent. Richard crushed at the Turk a powerful diagonal blow, but the Saracen only jumped back out of the way. The king made a new assault, slicing upwards towards his enemy's chest and exposed neck. The Saracen sidestepped and blocked the blow, and the swords locked together again, flashing in the bright sunlight.

The King of England and the fake Saladin traded fierce blows. The Lionheart moved easily, casually, out of his enemy's blade, parrying and lunging. The voice in the back of his head said to Richard that it could have been a very well-prepared plan with many assassins hiding in the desert and watching the spectacle, and that thought worried him very much. He thought that his only chance to survive was to kill his current opponent and then immediately escape the wretched place.

All at once, Richard heard the solid thump of heavy hooves on the soft ground. Then came a hubbub of Norman-French and English voices, and a small army of the Crusaders emerged in the distance. Although he was concentrated on the fight with the Saracen, the king noticed many Crusaders dressed in white Templar tunics; he thanked God that help arrived. The men dismounted and rushed to their liege.

"My liege! My liege!" The voice cracked from behind the king, like the sound of shattering rock. The man was Robert de Beaumont, the Earl of Leicester and captain of the second guard of the king's own forces.

"We arrived on time," another Crusader said breathlessly.

"Protect the king! Surround the area! There is someone hiding here! Capture the assassins!" the Earl of Leicester's commanding voice boomed in the hot air.

Leicester dismounted and strode directly towards the king. Richard finally finished the assassin by plunging his sword into the Saracen's chest, and Leicester smiled, quickening his footsteps; he paused and looked back to where the king's men had spread themselves in two lines across the dunes, holding their drawn swords point up as they surrounded the area.

Leicester bowed low to the king. "I beg my pardon, my liege. I disregarded your orders."

King Richard felt a smile forming on his lips. "Robert, thank you for your disobedience."

"I hope we will capture the conspirators here."

Richard felt his heart thundering in his chest at the memory of Robin whom he had unjustly condemned to the cruel death in the desert. "Oh my God! Robin! Robin!"

"Sire, Carter and Roger went to release Robin and his friends."

The king smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Robert." He wasn't angry with the Earl of Leicester; he was grateful as the younger man saved his life.

Leicester emitted a heavy sigh. "I just hope that it is not too late."

Richard still remembered the gloomy faces of Robin's old comrades who had served under his command in the king's private guard for almost five years. They had given Richard grim glances, their eyes full of amusement and disbelief that the king had ordered to assemble the men and execute Robin and the outlaws. They had thought that it had resembled a shocking travesty of justice because there had been no trial and no reasonable proof of Robin's alleged treason. The king had neglected to explain why he decided to execute his most beloved knight who had saved his life so many times during the war; he had simply said that Robin and the others were traitors. But it had been the king's order and everyone'd had to obey.

With great reluctance and silent apology in their eyes, the king's men had done what Richard had wanted. Only Roger and Carter had publicly vouched for Robin's honesty. Carter hadn't doubted Robin's word even for a minute because he himself had carried and delivered to the king Robin's message about the Black Knights' treacherous plots to overthrow and murder Richard. Carter and Roger had disapproved of the king's decision to execute Robin, but their temperamental liege hadn't listened to them. Other soldiers hadn't defended Robin Hood because the king himself had accused Robin and the outlaws of high treason; they also feared the explosion of the lion's fierce Angevin temper.

As the outlaws had been tied up to the wooden poles in the desert and the king had said his farewell words to Robin, many soldiers had cast their eyes down, either in shame or in grief that the fate of their former captain had been to die a traitor's death. As the Crusaders had ridden off, many of them, including Carter and Roger, had shaken their heads in shock and disbelief.

The Earl of Leicester hadn't been in the camp when Robin had arrived to warn King Richard about the danger for his life. Robin's old friend and the king's closest confident, Leicester was another king's most favorite. Only Robin, Robert and a few other men could disregard the king's orders and always stood for their opinion; at times, they even questioned the fairness of their liege's decisions. If Richard hadn't loved them so much, they would have been dispatched from the royal retinue for insubordination a long time ago.

By the time Leicester had arrived back at the camp from Acre, the king had already been gone for the meeting with Saladin in the desert. As he had learned what had happened to Robin and that the king had gone most likely right into a trap, Leicester had immediately assembled the men and had announced that he had needed thirty men to follow him and find the king in order to guarantee Richard's safety.

Leicester had also learnt that Carter and Roger had intended to release Robin and the gang. Even despite being King Richard's high favor, they had still feared the king's wrath, but they couldn't have allowed Robin and several innocent people to die in the desert. Soon the Earl of Leicester had departed to the place where the king had been known to meet with Saladin, while Carter and Roger had gone to save Robin.

§§§

Robin Hood, Marian, and the outlaws were tied up to the poles in the desert. The sun was high in the cloudless sky; its strength was ferocious, baking the landscape, so the sand itself shimmered and sparkled in the sunlight. It was extremely hot, and they wished something to shade their eyes against the glare of the sun, but there was no shade around. It seemed that the sun was setting the fire on their heads.

For an indefinite time, the outlaws were quiet, scarcely breathing and still hoping for a miracle to survive. But more and more time was passing, and there was no sign that someone would come and save them. With every heartbeat, it was becoming more difficult to breathe. Death was enveloping them; death was very close to each of them. No one could believe that they would die there and soon, at the order of King Richard, whom they had come to save from the sheriff and Gisborne and who had unjustly sentenced them to death.

Marian ran her eyes at the row of outlaws, the pitiful picture of the people doomed to die for nothing and no one. "Well, say the words then, handsome," she said determinedly.

Robin frowned. "What words?"

Marian smiled. "I, Robin, take you, Marian..."

Every muscle in Robin's body tightened as the words hit him with the impact of the strong volcanic eruption; his heart almost collapsed in pain, blood froze in his veins. He didn't want to believe that it was the tragic his dream to wait for the king's return, marry Marian in the Locksley Church and then live with his wife at Locksley Manor, the end of his dream to achieve peace in England and save the people from Prince John. Yet, it looked like they were going to die and that nothing could save them.

"Now?" Robin asked in half a whisper.

"Now is a good time, I think," Marian replied, smiling at the gang in front of her. "We are in the company of the best witnesses England can offer."

Much gave a slight nod, and Marian chuckled slightly.

Robin drew a deep, agonizing breath. She was absolutely right that it was time to exchange their marriage vows before their death. "I, Robin, take you, Marian, to be my lawful wedded wife. To have and to hold... for better or for worse... for richer... or for poorer..."

"In sickness..." Marian prompted Robin to continue.

Robin sighed heavily, his heart hammering so hard that it was nearly bursting out of his chest. "In sickness or in health, to love and to cherish... till death do us part."

Marian smiled. "I, Marian, take you, Robin of Locksley, master of the bow, champion of the poor and lord of my heart, to be my lawful wedded husband. I promise to love and cherish you, for better or for worse, from this day forward... as long as we both shall live."

Listening to Robin and Marian's wedding vows, Much could no longer control his emotions and started sobbing. Robin was biting his bottom lip, trying not to cry himself. Marian didn't cry and tried to look back at Robin, happy that God gave them at least a small chance to become a husband and a wife before death. If they couldn't be happy on earth, but they would be happy in heaven, she believed.

"Much... don't cry," Marian said in soothing tones, looking at Much.

Much sullenly shook his head. "I am not crying," he whispered barely audibly.

Marian's head hurt and the back of her throat burned with the effort of suppressing tears. "Oh, we will be alright. We will be in heaven, at peace." She permitted herself a swift intake of air, struggling with herself to keep herself calm. "It is alright. There is nothing wrong."

Marian tried to muster her courage, but, in reality, her courageous bravado was a mask. She didn't want to die in the desert and wished to defeat the sheriff, help the people of Nottingham, have a long life with Robin, and give Robin many children; it had been her most cherished dream for a long time, but it seemed that now it was time to say goodbye to all her plans. Yet, if it was their fate to die today and in the Holy Land, she was ready to accept that.

"I am with you, my Robin, in the final moments of my life," Marian thought. "My dear Robin, I love you with all my heart and we were meant to be together. And now we are dying together, but it is better than dying alone, without you, my love. I am not a coward and accept my fate. Nothing will destroy me. I am proud and happy to die with you, my Robin."

A tense, deathly silence spread over them, each of them thinking about the events of the day.

"Not being funny, but someone seems to be hurrying here," Allan finally spoke, gazing into the distance.

They could hear horses snickering, and turned their heads, looking into the horizon, but there was nobody to be seen. The hissing clash of metal upon metal came from there as the fierce fight began. Then someone gave a howl of pain, and the outlaws heard several people talking in English in loud voices.

Suddenly, everything went still, very still, and the invisible intruders moved away. Only the sounds of their receding footsteps broke an ominous silence, announcing the end of the fight and the departure of the winners. The dwindling sounds of the shouted farewells in mocking tones faded away.

The outlaws cast a hopeful glance at Robin, as though he could have answered what had happened. Robin gave a hollow laugh and sighed in frustration. Like his friends, he hoped that Carter or someone of his comrades would return to release them, but it seemed that the hope for salvation was empty.

"I don't know who was on his way here," Robin said flatly, not encouraging his friends to have false hopes that could possibly never come true.

Much stared at Robin with dismal eyes. "Maybe someone wanted to come and save us."

Unable to hold Much's gaze, Robin turned away, shuddering in anger mingled with shock. "If Carter or anyone else had wanted to save us, they would have already come here," he muttered.

"Yeah, we are gonna die here and soon?" Allan's voice was nearly desperate.

Robin exhaled a bitter sigh. "I think so," he replied hesitantly.

"Maybe the king will decide to release us in the end," Little John assumed.

Will scoffed. "By the time he realizes that he was deceived we will be dead."

"The king might have already been killed by the sheriff and Gisborne," Djaq uttered, a touch of disdain towards the king creeping into her voice.

"Yeah, then we will see the king in heaven. He will have to apologize," Allan attempted to jest.

The outlaws smiled at the last attempt of the former traitor to cheer them up.

"At least we had time to exchange wedding vows," Marian murmured.

"I am sorry, my love," Robin muttered, swallowing a lump in his throat. "I am so sorry. We didn't have much time to be happy together, my darling."

Marian smiled wistfully. "You shouldn't be sorry, handsome. We were fighters, and I am proud of us. We have forever in heaven."

The outlaws didn't know that the band of the sheriff's Saracen assassins had accidently stumbled into Carter and Roger in the desert on the way to Vaisey. The violent battle unfolded, but, being significantly outnumbered, the Crusaders were not victorious. Carter and Roger were brutally murdered by the Saracens on their way to save the outlaws. Carter lay on the sand, his torso pierced by a crossbow bolt; one of his arms was broken. Another Crusader, Roger, lay on his back, his throat slashed, his arms crossed over his broad chest, his bow and a quiver of arrows beside him, his white tunic blackened with blood.

§§§

"Damn King Richard! Damn these Crusaders! How did they come here? The king was supposed to be alone!" Vaisey's shrilling voice coursed the air. He swore numerous oaths. "Do something, you blithering oafs! We have the king to kill!"

"It should be Hood's doing!" Gisborne hissed between the clenched teeth.

James smirked. "I doubt that Locksley took the men from the king's camp. Leicester again disobeyed his precious king." His lips curled into an evil grin. "I am sure that Locksley must be dead or is dying."

Gisborne drew a wheezing breath and slammed his fist into the sand. "I want Hood dead!" He stared at James. "But how do you know that Hood is already dead?"

Guy wholeheartedly hated and loathed Robin Hood. He wanted Hood utterly, brutally, and mercilessly destroyed. But Hood had cheated death many times in the past, and Guy began to believe that the famous outlaw was invincible and insufferable. Guy wanted Hood to die in the desert instead of becoming the hero of the day and saving the king's life again.

James snickered as he glanced between Vaisey and Gisborne. "Do you really think that I wish Locksley to survive and save King Richard? Of course, I want him dead! I hated this arrogant brat all the time when he was captain of the private guard. His death makes me happy," he elaborated, sneering as he imagined a tied-up Robin suffering under the scorching sun. "I am not a fool, and I forestalled that some Crusaders might go against the king's order. Therefore, I sent several Saracens to kill everyone who may try to release Locksley and his companions from the forest."

The sheriff laughed malevolently. "Blah-di-blah-di-blah! This is so sweet! This is so charming! The illustrious Robin Hood and his merry men will die under the king's orders as traitors!" He burst out laughing once more. "It sounds too good to be true! I am so happy! You made me happy, Sir James!"

Gisborne nodded, his eyes darkening with emotion. "Then Hood must be dead."

"Enough talking, Gisborne! Enough!" Vaisey growled. "Gisborne and James, you are imbeciles! Do something to save our day. We are losing." He veered his gaze to James. "We should attack them right now."

James swept his eyes over the dunes and shook his head. "I think that it is high time to flee," he said, scrambling to his feet from the sand and signaling two Saracen assassins to follow him. "Get up and save your lives while you have time. There are too many Crusaders here."

Vaisey and Gisborne exchanged worried glances, in silent agreement that they had to escape.

"We will be defeated," Gisborne said, looking around and assessing the situation.

"Our forces are unequal." Vaisey frowned. "We should escape now."

The sheriff and Gisborne jumped to their feet and rushed to the horses, followed by James and two other Saracen assassins. They mounted on and set their horses into a full gallop.

The sheriff and his accomplices were quickly discovered by the Crusaders who had already surrounded the area. Understanding that the fight with the king's guards was an unequal battle doomed to failure, Vaisey and James commanded to break through the thick line of the soldiers, galloping away to save their lives; it was a desperate thing to do, but it was their only chance.

King Richard ordered the archers to concentrate on killing the horses and then deal with the dismounted riders. It was when Vaisey and Gisborne noticed the line of ten archers not fare from them. At the king's command, the archers fired massed volleys of arrows that fell on their targets like sheets of windblown rain.

Vaisey looked back and saw Gisborne's horse topple, arrows struck in its flanks. The sheriff merely glimpsed as Gisborne pitched forward behind the animal's rearing bulk and tumbled to the ground. James slipped from his horse and dropped to his knees on the sand. Several Saracen assassins fought to control their terrified mounts, and then they finally also slipped from their horses as the archers killed the animals.

The king barked a command in Norman-French to surround the heavily armored Saracens and the Black Knights; to capture the assassins alive or kill in a fight in case of the enemy's violent resistance.

Knowing that there would be no mercy for them if they are arrested by the king's men, Gisborne and James gave wild war cries and charged into the battle with the king's men. Guy and James fought like demon-possessed men, attacking the king's guards and wishing to take down as many enemies as possible before being captured or killed. The blades crossed, and the savage fight began, but it was not big enough to be called a battle because it sprang up suddenly and the conspirators were greatly outnumbered.

Vaisey continued riding away despite a hail of arrows, trying to break through the fire. Suddenly, an arrow whizzed through the air and struck Vaisey's horse in the flank. The horse bolted, and the sheriff fell to the ground. One of the Crusaders hit him in the head with a sword, rendering the evil man unconscious.

Being an expert swordsman, Guy managed to finish off four Crusaders and to seriously wound at least two more soldiers. He was about to swing his blade in a fatal blow on another Englishman when King Richard himself suddenly lunged at him and skewed him across his belly while another guard stabbed him from the back. Sharp pain slashed through his body, and Guy screamed in pain and agony, clutching his wound on his lower stomach. He staggered backwards and his large frame dropped to the sand.

Lying on the back, Guy raised his eyes and looked at the blue, cloudless sky. He put his hand on his forehead, shading his eyes from the glare of the sun and wincing in pain that passed through his body. In the final moments of his life, he thought only about Marian, the love of his life. He wondered what would happen to her after his death and Vaisey's capture and what she would do alone in Acre. He wanted to think that she would remember him after his death with some fondness, but he knew that it would never be the case. He didn't know that the sheriff had taken Marian into the desert to die together with the outlaws.

"_I am dying, but at least Marian is alive and Hood is dead_," Guy thought, staring at the blue sky. "I am going to pay for all my heinous crimes. I will never meet Marian in heaven because I am doomed to burn in hellfire. I should have been a better man, but I was misguided and loyal to the wrong man."

Guy turned his head around, but he could barely distinguish the silhouettes of the king's men around him. "I want Vaisey dead," he thought. "I hate him so much, and I should have killed him when Marian promised to marry me. God forgive me for my misspent life."

Guy smiled and closed his eyes forever. His breathing stopped. He was dead.

Ironically, Guy was killed by the Crusaders and the King of England, whom he despised and tried to assassinate during the Saracen raid when he had been stopped by Robin. Guy's death was the price he paid for his misplaced loyalty to Sheriff Vaisey and Prince John.

One of the king's guards rushed to Guy and thrust his sword into his chest so that he could be sure that Guy was dead and would never rise again. Then, with a satisfied and smug expression on his face, the man walked away to the Earl of Leicester.

In a matter of minutes, the assassins lost the battle. Unconscious and bruised, Sheriff Vaisey was shackled and gagged. Sir James of Kent was beheaded by the Earl of Leicester and stabbed in his stomach by another Crusader. All the assassins were killed in a fight.

Richard looked at the carnage surrounding them; he could see nothing that struck him as being anomalous. He nodded, signaling that the battle was over. He told his men to deliver an unconscious Vaisey to the camp and throw him in the prison, and guard him with utmost scrupulosity to prevent him any attempt of escape. Another command was to take the bodies to the camp for burial.

"What are we doing now, milord?" the Earl of Leicester asked the king.

"We are going to Robin and his friends. Carter and Roger should have already released them," Richard declared, nodding towards the horses. "Hurry up."

§§§

The outlaws were melting under the blazing sun. Will, Allan, and Little John had already fallen unconscious. Much surrendered to the darkness of abysmal despair and dissolved into tears, but no one reproached him for the lack of self-control and emotions. Djaq didn't pass out yet and was merely silent, her eyes wrinkled to slits against the severity of the sun; she hated the foolish King of England.

Marian and Robin didn't speak. They were trying to concentrate, but the heat had already taken its toll on them. Every minute seemed to be endless as they waited for the end, their vision blurred, their heads spinning, their bodies unable to move, their mouths too dry to make a sound. Their tortured limbs still objected to the way they were tied to the poles, pain in their arms showing no intention of receding.

A deadly silence descended upon the dying outlaws. Even Much stopped sobbing. Tied to the same pole from the different sides, Marian and Robin were unable not only to touch each other in their last moments but also to give each other a farewell smile. Although they hadn't intended to simply give up hope for survival at first, they resigned to their fate in the end; death was very close, and nothing could change that.

Robin struggled with the darkness that was slowly enveloping him. Absolute stillness awoke him from the slumber. He glanced around: there was nothing seen, except for the endless yellow-tinted sand, the sun, and the blue sky above them. Robin cursed, wishing to wake up and learn that he had been swept by the tumult of the unreal, awful dreams that lingered and haunted him, shapeless and full of dread.

Robin was slipping into and out of consciousness. His eyes were heavy and he squeezed them shut, forcing himself to open them again, still fighting with death. His eyelids twitched slightly, but there was so much pressure on them, preventing them from opening.

Robin drew in a quick breath and instinctively tried to move his hands, wishing to claw at his face with both hands and forgetting that his left arm was tightly bound. A mere movement resulted in a severe pain, and all at once he realized with sudden certainty that his nightmares had been real.

Thoughts of King Richard circled Robin's mind. He admired and loved Richard the Lionheart since his early youth. He had willingly left his life in England behind and had followed his king to the Holy Land, doing duty to his country and to his liege, but abandoning Marian and breaking her young, tender heart.

Finding a remarkable personality in Robin, King Richard had become his mentor and friend on the Crusade, and Robin had quickly taken a special place in the lion's heart. Richard had rewarded Robin with many medals for his numerous victories on the battlefield and had promoted him to the captain of the private guard, making Robin one of his chief generals. The king had believed in his young protégé more than Robin had ever believed in himself, which had earned Robin's undying devotion to the Lionheart. The king's special attitude had shaped many features of Robin's character, including his leadership and courage, which eventually made him the war hero in the Holy Land and the people's hero in England.

Nevertheless, everything changed dramatically. King Richard no longer considered Robin his friend and publicly accused him of high treason, saying that Robin had been bought by the Black Knights. Robin barely repressed a sardonic laugh as he remembered Richard's words: without any credible proof of their guilt, the king had sentenced them to a shameful death of traitors without the benefit of the last rites and a chance to get a decent burial, because Robin had saved Richard's life many times during the war. The only consolation was that the king had spared them the brutal execution of being hanged, drawn, and quartered.

"King Richard sentenced my friends and me to death in reward for all good I did for him," Robin mused. His heart constricted in his chest at the thought that the king had betrayed him. "How could Richard do that? How could he be so unfair to me and my friends? Was I so blind in my loyalty to this man?"

Robin couldn't believe that his king had taken the word of the unknown Turkish emissary over Robin's word. Richard had trusted Robin with his life and Robin had never failed his liege; he had nearly died for Richard several times, including the case when Guy of Gisborne had attempted regicide in Acre over two years ago. The Lionheart had been blinded by anger at the imaginary betrayal and hadn't thought straight.

"_How could King Richard betray me of all the men who served him_?" Robin thought; his eyes filled with bittersweet tears, knowing that he would hold the moment of his condemnation by the king in his mind and heart forever. "_The king has forgotten that I saved him many times on the Crusade and he is still alive only thanks to me and my half-plans. Death is the price I am paying for my loyalty to him, but this price is too high, for my innocent friends are dying because of the king's mistake_."

He could have flung himself at his liege's feet, begging him to spare his own life, but he didn't do that because he was too proud and only cared about his friends' lives. He only asked the king to take his life and spare his friends, but the lion was adamant that everyone should have been punished. Robin told his friends that their death was not the king's fault as Richard had been deceived by the cunning Sheriff Vaisey of Nottingham. Yet, he admitted, only to himself, that he had lied to them, knowing Richard wasn't innocent; they were left to die in the desert at the king's order, and even Robin was unable to reject that.

Robin had cherished the king's love and trust, paying back with immense, unconditional loyalty to his liege. But the king's trust had never been absolute and complete. Yet, it was still unclear for Robin how his beloved and fair king could have sentenced all of them to death only because of hearsay. The worst was that Robin had dragged others into the terrible mess: Marian wasn't supposed to die in the godforsaken land, and his friends didn't deserve to die for nothing, all the more as traitors to the crown. He felt his cheeks burning with shame that he had let his friends and, most importantly, his beloved Marian down.

For the first time in his life, Robin felt utterly helpless and miserable. "I am dying, and nothing can save us," Robin mused. For a moment, he was unable even to think; his mouth looked as tight and his face was sharp with resentment, as if he had tasted something bitter. "Marian is dying together with me. My friends are dying. And they are dying because of me and my love for the King of England who betrayed us."

Suppressing that bitter thought, Robin tilted his chin up off his chest. His mind drifted back to his dreams about Marian and their life in Locksley after the king's return. Edward Fitzwalter said that it was good to dream, and Robin was a dreamer. Now he knew that his dreams would never come true. The exciting pictures of his life with Robin and their children in Locksley, the ocean of happy days that had glittered incessantly and brightly in his imagination for so long, would remain only his dreams.

He could no longer dream, and he couldn't deny the truth. Only bitterness and anger filled his world at the moment. "I am dying for my king, but it is not their fight and they don't deserve to die in the desert as traitors to England and their king," Robin speculated. "And yet, they are dying here and now. Their deaths are my fault because they followed me and I failed to protect and save them."

At least he still had Marian at his side before his death, he told himself acerbically, but then dismissed his thoughts because it was too selfish to think that way. She shouldn't have been there, but she still was with him; guilt that he led his people to death was corroding his heart.

Robin smiled with his most enchanting smile that had always bewitched everyone. "_God, thank you for my last moments with my Marian, the love of my life! I am happy to die with her_."

The horrible pictures of the yellow sand, sodden with crimson blood, whirled in his mind. "_May God forgive me for my unholy deeds I committed in these lands… I killed so many people that I cannot count the numbers. My skills with a bow and a sword are not a blessing, but a curse. There is so much blood on my hands; I will never wash it away. God absolve my sins, for I repent with all my heart that I came to the Holy Land and killed so many people_," he prayed silently. "_My death in these lands is my punishment_."

Robin had never hated Richard, but now he truly loathed his liege. He had always known that Richard could be ruthless and cruel, but he had never admitted a single thought that his liege may turn against him.

Their gruesome deaths were pointless. They were dying for England and for King Richard, but it was the King of England who was guilty of their deaths. They were murdered by Richard. Robin Hood's cause for England and King Richard was blown into nothingness. Robin Hood's fight for justice was futile! _Robin paid an extreme price for his loyalty to the king and England_ – the lives of his friends, the life of his wife, and his own life was given almost for nothing. They achieved nothing because the king could have already been killed, which would lead to Prince John's victory. His loyalty led too many innocent people to death.

"Forgive me, Marian," Robin whispered, his heart swelling with emotion.

Marian took a shallow breath, her heart lurching at the sound of his weak voice. "Handsome, it is not your fault. Don't blame yourself."

"Can you forgive me for leaving you, for not being able to save you this time?"

"I forgave you a long time ago and I mean that," she assured him.

Suddenly, his eyes were glistening with tears, and Robin let them flow freely down his cheeks. "Thank you, my darling." His shoulders slumped as exhaustion was overcoming him, his lean frame jerked.

Her eyes brilliant with rebellious tears which she was holding in check with all the restraint of which she was capable, Marian dropped her head. She couldn't hold back her tears; they began to fall silently; her face was ashen, streaked with tears. "I love you, my husband," she murmured. She sighed and shut her eyes.

Robin heard her words, a weak smile tugging at his lips. "I love you, my wife."

He shook his head. A strong wind blew the loose sand and dirt from a dry surface, and he realized that a sandstorm was brewing. While he was in the Holy Land, he always was fearful of the sandstorms that filled everything around with terrors and cataclysms. The sandstorms could spring up without warning and bury towns, villages, and armies, and he didn't want to become its victim.

The sandstorm came and passed quickly, much quicker than Robin had anticipated, but it carried large amounts of thick dust that rose high above the ground. As the sandstorm subsided, Robin sighed with relief. His mouth and nostrils were clogged and dry, and he was unable to clear them. His whole being was overwhelmed with terror and dread. Everything was in vain; everything was for nothing; everything was lost.

Robin opened his eyes and looked at the sun in the sky, contemplating his surroundings for the last time. He felt seething clouds of roiling lethal smoke envelop him, darkness claiming him and threatening to choke the life out of his body. A thick white mist enveloping him as death cradled him in its arms.

§§§

The hot sun blazed down on King Richard and his men who rode through the desert to the place where Robin and the outlaws were tied up to the poles. A suspicious silence reigned and only miles of golden sands with rare palm trees dotted here and there stretched ahead.

King Richard raised his hand, his head cocked suddenly as though he had been listening. The king tightened the reins and slowed his stallion, his men trailing behind him. The Crusaders wondered what attracted the king's attention, but they could hear nothing, there was only the stillness of the desert.

Richard pointed in the right direction. "We heard a moan there." He looked at the Earl of Leicester, one eyebrow rising higher than another. "We should go in this direction."

Leicester turned his head and gazed into a distance. "I also heard a moan. We should hurry."

The king set out his horse into a gallop. Richard swept his eyes over the dunes, and his heart missed a beat as he noticed two butchered bodies on the sand. The ubiquitous flies heaved and seethed on the men's wounds and on the pools of blackening, clotted blood that stained the sandy ground.

Richard shuddered as he recognized Carter and Roger in the fallen warriors. If they were killed, it meant that Robin and the outlaws weren't released yet. Much time passed since the king had spoken to Robin and left him to die in the desert. There was a high probability that they were too late to save the innocent traitors. These thoughts caused Richard's heart to pound so ferociously that it seemed it could burst out.

The king dismounted near the bodies of the defeated Crusaders. They were indeed Carter and Roger.

Richard crouched and bent his head down, his arms grabbing Carter's shoulders and slightly shaking him. "Carter! Carter!" he called, his voice thick with emotion.

Carter groaned and opened his eyes, his vision bleary and unfocused. "My liege… Alive…"

"We are unscratched," the monarch replied evenly.

"We were attacked and outnumbered," Carter mumbled hoarsely. "Robin… Robin…"

Richard didn't need to hear anything else to understand that his worst suspicions might have been true. He squeezed Carter's hand and bowed his head in a gesture of shock and frustration. Roger, another Crusader, was already dead, his body still warm.

The king gave orders to take Carter and Roger's body back to the camp and take care of Carter, who needed to be tended by Richard's personal physician.

Richard abruptly rose to his feet and dashed to the horses, screaming to his men to hurry. Leicester followed the king, while another group of the soldiers departed to the camp.

What they saw on the horizon made Richard's blood run cold. Robin and his friends were still tied up to the poles, the silhouettes of their bodies shimmering in the burning sun, their heads dropped to their chests, with no indication that they were still alive. The king's heart hammered with nervousness, an ominous feeling of death and doomed pervaded him. He breathed in deeply to regain his composure and to slow the wild beating of his heart, but a feeling of apprehension mingled with fear filled him to the core. The lion prayed that Robin and the others were merely unconscious, just not dead.

"See that they are untied! Now! Now!" The king's voice was loud, quick, pressing.

Everyone realized that they were locked in a battle with invisible enemies – slumber, numbness, and death. Leicester and other Crusaders rode ahead the king and climbed the small hill. As they reached the destination, they hopped down from the saddles and rushed to the innocent traitors. The men worked swiftly, cutting the ropes that tied the outlaws to the poles. In a few moments, the bodies fell to the sand and the king's men grabbed them hastily. The king's men shook them, trying to wake them from the slumber.

The king saw Robin's body tumble to the ground, unmoving and unresponsive to the hands that shook him violently to wake him. He also saw the dark-haired young woman dressed in a gorgeous white dress; she had been untied from the same pole where Robin had been bound a minute ago. Sir Daniel of Doncaster gently placed her on the sand, his expression gloomy and shocked. The king had no clue who the young woman was and how she ended up with Robin in the desert.

Richard approached the Crusaders. "How are they?" He sounded extremely urgent.

"The lady is dead. Her heart is not beating, and she is not breathing," Sir Daniel replied sadly.

The king sighed heavily and blessed himself with the cross. The death of the woman was a bad omen, and his heart pounded harder. He stared at the Earl of Leicester and then turned his gaze at another Crusader, Sir Raymond of Ashton, and then his eyes fixed on Robin as the king's men lowered Robin's body to a flat piece of ground as gently as they could; then they checked the pulse on Robin's neck.

"And Robin?" Richard inquired, fearing to hear the response.

"Robin… he is…" Leicester stammered, not able to say aloud what happened to his beloved friend.

"_The Earl of Huntingdon is not breathing_," Sir Raymond said shortly, his voice tense.

"Robin is dead," Leicester said, his voice barely audible. "_Our Robin is dead_." He bowed his head in respect to his tragically deceased friend and in shame for the king.

Richard lowered his head and blessed himself. His heart collapsed and stopped beating for an instant. He gasped for air. Robin, his Robin, was dead. The young woman was dead.

The air was deadly calm and sultry, suffocating the lion due to the lack of oxygen and a sickening feeling of tart guilt. He felt as though he had been in the living hell; the flames of hellfire went away, swallowed by the darkness that was broken by a few thin trickles of the light and then again substituted by the darkness.

Richard slowly walked towards Robin, his gait unsteady. He stopped and ran his eyes over the corpse. He gasped for air again. The skin of Robin's face and neck was badly burnt, his wrists were bruised from the bonds, and there was a slight tingle of blue on his dry lips. Richard had never seen the handsome, charming Robin of Locksley in such a miserable state, but even in death, there was an air of nobility and courage about the hero. Robin was dead, and there was a sense of peace and calm that imbued Robin's visage.

The lady in the white dress looked like Robin – her burnt skin. Yet, she still was lovely and bewitching, and her expression was peaceful like Robin's. The king crossed himself, asking God for forgiveness and cursing the same God that had taken the life of such a young and beautiful woman in the desert.

The king ran his eyes across the line of the motionless bodies. "What about the others?"

"I am sorry, my liege. They are dead," Sir Daniel reported, not looking at the king.

Richard shook his head, his mind beyond any coherent thought. His gaze swept over Robin's prone body, disbelievingly. "Oh my God," he managed to whisper.

Richard felt sickened with himself. He fought hard to prevent tears from spilling, but failed, and his blue eyes filled with tears that trickled down his cheeks, like silver rivers of pain. He drew a deep breath and swallowed his sobs. His eyes stung from hot tears.

"Robin, forgive me, my friend," Richard murmured as if Robin could hear him; he dropped the royal etiquette in that private and tragic moment. "Forgive me if you can. God forgive me for what I did."

The ground trembled nervously under the king's feet. His heart was broken into many small pieces, heavily bleeding like a large open wound. He wished to run away to the farthest ends of the world from shame and guilt. His most beloved, ever-loyal, honest, and strong Robin was dead. Everyone was dead. All the unjustly condemned people died because of him. Their deaths were unjust, pointless. It was his fault, only his fault. He knew that he would never forgive himself.

Moved by the great tragedy of all these deaths, King Richard walked noiselessly, passing the bodies of his victims and examining their corpses. All of them were severely burnt and looked as though they had spent not several hours, but the whole day under the sun.

Richard found himself searching for the right words to say over the bodies of the innocent traitors. The king didn't know the outlaws, but they were Robin's friends and it was enough to consider them reliable and loyal people because Robin had never betrayed his king. Anything he could say would be wasted. The outlaws had died as traitors, while they deserved a better fate than the end they had met in the Holy Land. The untimely, undeserved deaths of the innocent people were a chasmal tragedy, and what happened was beyond forgiveness he could grant himself, Richard mused.

Richard bowed his head, running his eyes over the corpses. "Rest in peace, whoever you are. No God, Christ or Allah, would object to my wish. Forgive me if you can."

§§§

"Robin's manservant, Much, seems to be alive," Sir Daniel declared, his hand on Much's neck.

King Richard didn't need to hear something else. He almost ran to Much as fast as his legs carried him and stopped near the unmoving body. He crouched, looking at Robin's former manservant with eyes full of repentance and black grief.

"Much," the king addressed to the younger man.

At first, Much didn't respond. He took a deep breath and slowly turned his head to face the powerful man whom he served so loyally and who killed them. He blinked, temporarily sun blinded. He put his head on his forehead to shield himself from the sun. Then he finally opened his eyes and saw the king's red-gold head leaning over him.

"My liege," Much rasped. "Water…"

Richard nodded. "Give him water! Hurry up!"

Sir Daniel bent down to Much. The king and Daniel helped Much to sit and brought a flask of water to his lips. Much drank some water and lowered himself on the sand, too weak to stay in a sitting position.

Much licked his lips. "Robin? How is Robin?"

Richard released a distressed sigh. He remembered that Much had always been highly concerned with Robin's well-being and put his master's life above his own. The king had always been astonished that the servant could care so deeply for his master. "Robin and the others..." the king trailed off.

Anticipating a private conversation, the Crusaders stepped aside.

Much stared at his liege in silence for a long moment. "What?"

Richard averted his eyes, his expression sullen. His voice failed him; his mouth moved, but no words emerged until he swallowed and shook his head slowly. "They are... They are…" It was the first time when Richard stumbled with words when he spoke to his subject, all the more a mere servant.

Much could read the king's emotions splashed across his face. Everything was clear – the other outlaws were dead. "They are dead?" he forced himself to ask.

Richard inclined his head. "Yes." He turned to Much and saw that his eyes were half opened and waited for any reaction from him. As Much kept silent, the king spoke. "I am sorry."

Much shook his head. "Too late to apologize, milord."

"I know," Richard said grimly. "You will be nursed back to heath."

Much shook his head in protest. "No, no. I am damaged beyond repair," he groaned.

"Much, don't say that," the king countered.

"Too late, sire," Much said neutrally, as if he were indifferent to his fate.

The king was silent for long moments, struggling with himself to accept the fact that everyone was dead. He couldn't believe that they came too late and that Robin and the others had already been dead. He inhaled deeply, and then nodded in agreement, lowering his chin to his chest.

"The sheriff is arrested and will be executed tomorrow. The man clad in black leather, the Saracens, and Sir James of Kent were killed in the fight," Richard informed, not knowing what else he could say.

The king didn't tell the dying man about Carter's severe wounds and Roger's death.

"Good. At least we achieved something." Much smiled vaguely. He hoped that Robin and the outlaws watched them from heaven and knew that their enemies had been defeated.

"At least," Richard echoed.

Feeling that he was on the brink of death, Much was going to tell the king some important things. He felt betrayed by the king. He was both angry and hurt.

Much looked into the king's eyes. "Sire, Robin always loved you, and so did I. Robin was utterly loyal to you. I also was loyal to you, milord, but I came to the Holy Land because of Robin – I was more loyal to Robin than to you. I would have always followed Robin. I would have died for him. I would have given my life to let him live, but it is too late now." He dragged a deep, agonizing breath. "We came here to save your life. But loyalty has its price, and we paid a high price."

It was the first time in his life when Much was so bold and behaved so disrespectfully towards the king, addressing the lion without respect. But he didn't care; he just wanted to say what he truly thought. Robin, his beloved Robin, was dead. He would also be dead soon and would meet Robin and all his friends in heaven. He would allow himself a luxury of being frank with the king who murdered them.

The king looked away. "Sheriff Vaisey deceived and tricked me. I would have never ordered to execute Robin if I hadn't been deceived." He knew that it was not a justification, but he could say nothing more.

Much spoke in matter-of-fact tones, coldly and calmly. "Robin truly loved you, his king and his friend. I think that he loved you almost as dearly as he loved his father. The thought of your death made his blood boil, and he was ready to kill everyone who threatened your life and your throne. He respected and admired you greatly. I think that he worshiped you, and he would have gladly sacrificed himself for you."

"Much, please don't say–"

Much interrupted the king. "Sire, I also admired you and loved you, because you are a great and brave warrior, but more because you loved Robin and he loved you. I always loved those whom Robin loved." He paused and sighed. "But in spite of all of love and admiration, all of loyalty and duty which Robin genuinely felt so privileged to give you willingly for so many years, you murdered Robin. Everything turned to gray ashes; you destroyed everything."

The king lowered his head. "I know it is my fault."

Much was silent for a long time, only looking at the king. Richard sensed that his silence stemmed from deep disappointment, and he realized, suddenly, that he far preferred the anger of the dying man.

"_It is only your fault, my liege_," Much declared at last in a voice woven of anger and resentment. "_Robin died because of his unconditional loyalty to you_. Even Lady Marian of Knighton, Robin's wife, died because of her desire to save you, although she shouldn't have been in the Holy Land."

"Why was Lady Marian here?"

"Lady Marian was kidnapped by the sheriff and Gisborne after she had tried to kill Vaisey in Nottingham. She did that to save you, sire."

"Enough," Richard half moaned, tilting his head. "Please enough."

Much wasn't going to stop; he needed a minute of frankness with the king. "You sentenced all of us to death because of hearsay. You believed all the wretched lies after Robin had nearly given his life to save you so many times on the Crusade. Robin and we all wanted to save our King and England and bring you home because Prince John rules in tyranny, not caring about the English people and even about the nobles."

"My brother crossed the line." Richard squeezed his eyes shut, fighting against hot tears, thinking that John's plots had harmed so many people and had finally taken Robin's life.

"It doesn't matter. Not anymore and not for us," Much replied, struggling with weakness and exhaustion; he wanted to talk and say to the king everything that he thought. "Robin always wanted to save and protect you, our king, but ironically you took the life of your most devoted follower and savior in the very end." He croaked with laughter. "It would be funny if it weren't so sad. This is how you repay to us for our loyalty."

Richard turned his eyes directly at the dying man. "I am sorry." His voice was cracking. "I will never forgive myself for what I did today." He fell still, his face an embodiment of horrible pain and chasmal regret. "I loved Robin most of all among my knights. He was my friend." He closed his eyes. "I will mourn for Robin until my dying day. I will mourn for all of you."

"Robin said that it was not your fault, that you were deceived," Much mumbled. "He was loyal to you even in death." He gave the king a fierce glare, anger overwhelming his heart. "He would have always been loyal to you if you hadn't killed him."

"I am so sorry." The lion didn't reprimand the other man for disrespect, for he knew his faults.

"Sire, send someone to Bassam's house in Acre."

The king raised his eyes. "The bird's man?"

"Yes."

"Why, Much?"

Much's face broke into a large smile. "It is Robin Hood's last gift."

Richard looked bewildered. "The gift from Robin?"

Much laughed morbidly. "Yes. It is my fault that I forgot something at Bassam's house." He paused, gathering his strength. "Tell Bassam that you are from Robin and ask for his permission to go to Saffiya's room. Saffiya is a young Saracen who died with us. You will find the folded parchment on the table near the cage with birds. It is the Pact of Nottingham signed by the sheriff and the Black Knights a few months ago. You will find the names of all the traitors there."

The king squeezed Much's hand in gratitude. "Thank you, Much."

Much grimaced. "Don't tell Bassam how we died. Tell him that we died in the battle, saving England and the king. He won't understand, and you need to talk to him to have the Pact."

Richard felt his cheeks turning crimson; he was utterly ashamed. "Thank you," he repeated.

Much's strength was fading away. There was only one thing said he needed to tell the king. "Sire, I must tell you something very important. After Robin or Marian's passing, I must say something before I die." He cleared his throat. "Robin has a son with Marian. The boy's name is Robin."

Richard raised his eyebrows. "Robin never told me about that."

"Sire, Robin didn't know about the birth of his own son until he reconciled with Marian. He learned the truth in more than a year after our return in England."

"Why didn't she tell him before?"

"Marian didn't know yet that she was with child when we left Nottingham and she broke their engagement," Much continued. "Later, when she learned about her condition, she was too proud to inform Robin, although if she had been less stubborn and had notified him about her condition, he would have returned and married her even against her will. Only recently Marian revealed the truth to Robin, and he was very happy to learn that he has a son. They planned to live together with their son in Locksley, as a happy family, after your return to England."

"I see…" His cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and Richard sighed.

"But now… now… Robin and Marian are dead." It took Much all his strength to talk because he was very weak. "Now their son is an orphan. Little Robin is alone in the world."

Richard cringed at Much's words. The weight of guilt momentarily doubled; he couldn't breathe for a moment. He wanted to scream at himself and at everyone, to express his sorrow, anger, and guilt, but no words came out of his mouth."How can we find the boy? Is he in Nottingham?" he said after a long pause.

Much started sobbing. Tears were falling down his cheeks. "Robin's son… lives in Lanesborough, with Lady Claire of Lanesborough, Marian's cousin and friend, as well as with Lady Julia's husband. Only a few people know the truth about the boy. Robin told me about that on the way to the Holy Land." He paused.

"Go on," the king prompted.

Much swallowed his sobs. "Robin said that his son took much after him – his sandy hair and his bright blue eyes. Robin was proud of his son whom he met only several times in his life." He clutched the king's hand. "Sire, I beg you to take care of the boy. For Robin and Marian. I beseech you, milord, to give Robin's son his lands and title, which were so unjustly taken from him after our return in England. I know that Marian and Robin were not married under the law when their son was conceived and born, but now they are married in the eyes of God because they exchanged wedding vows while we were dying."

"Oh God." A veil of black sorrow enveloped Richard.

"My liege, I beg you not to hold his illegitimacy against the boy. Robin's son has a moral right to be the Lord of Locksley, the next rightful Earl of Huntingdon."

"I swear that I will take care of Robin's son. I will protect him and Robin's legacy. I will transfer everything that Robin rightfully owned to this boy. I will also make young Robin my ward, or my mother's ward," Richard pledged, squeezing Much's hand.

"Thank you, milord." Much stiffened. "Marian and Robin loved each other so much. They were meant to be together." His cheeks were wet with tears.

"Ask me whatever you want. I will everything do for you and in your memory."

A radiant smile graced the features of the dying man as Much's mind drifted back to Robin. "I love Robin the most in this life – Robin is everything to me. He was like my brother. He was my best friend and my beloved master. I wouldn't be able to live without him, and it is very good that I am dying." Much's voice was turning lower with every spoken word. "Bury Robin and Marian in the same grave. Let them rest together in the sand; they deserve to have eternal rest together, side by side." He flashed a resplendent smile. "Bury me next to Robin's grave. I want to find my peace near my master, near my Robin."

"I will," the king pledged, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. Even he, the battle-hardened warrior, was deeply touched by the manservant's love for his former master and friend.

"Thank you," Much whispered. He drew a shallow breath and closed his eyes forever. He was dead.

"I am so sorry. I am so sorry." Richard bowed his head in utter demise and shame.

§§§

The sun passed the noon hour, descended behind the sandy hills, and slipped to the horizon. Daylight faded into the dusk, the sunset sky turning brilliant golds, burnished browns, and orange.

The bodies of the killed traitors were delivered to the Crusaders' camp and flaunted in front of the king's guards. Next morning, Guy of Gisborne and James of Kent were given Christian burials. They were buried not in the area for the king's guards, but in the desert in unmarked graves as high traitors. Very few people attended their funeral and nobody mourned for them, and many Crusaders openly cursed them. The Saracen assassins were laid to rest in the common unmarked grave, next to Gisborne and James.

King Richard sent a messenger to Bassam's house in Acre. Bassam was shocked with the news of Djaq's death in the battle. The messenger wasn't happy to lie to the old man, knowing that the young Saracen had died in the desert at the king's order. However, the king's orders were to deliver the news about Djaq's heroic death in the battle, and the messenger had to obey to protect the king's reputation.

The messenger found the Pact of Nottingham in the same room and in the same place Much told the king about. He brought the precious parchment into the camp and handed it personally to King Richard. The king was surprised how many nobles had been bought by Prince John; he finally understood that he had certainly underestimated his brother's wickedness, manipulative nature, and cunningness when he left for the Crusade. He was determined to rectify the situation as soon as he got back to England.

Richard had to thank Robin for the document that proved the treachery of the Black Knights and his own brother. Robin helped him even from a grave, which made Richard's guilt more unbearable. The king realized that he had to go back to England if he wanted to have his kingdom and the support of his nobles upon his return. He urgently had to make peace with Saladin and then depart to England.

Sheriff Vaisey was unceremoniously thrown into the damp small cell in the old, shabby building outside the walls of Acre, which had been transformed into the prison after the capture of Acre by King Richard's troops. The sheriff was unconscious for several hours, and when he emerged from his slumber, he was told that he had been officially declared a high traitor and had no illusions about the seriousness of his situation. Obviously, his sentence would be a gruesome death and then burial in an unmarked grave in the desert. During the interrogation, the sheriff confessed that he had planned to assassinate King Richard, but he withheld information about the Black Knights and all of Prince John's plots to usurp the throne.

When King Richard came to Vaisey, the sheriff taunted the king that he had killed his most loyal subject – Robin Hood. Knowing that John and Richard were sharply at odds with each other, Vaisey promised King Richard that he would eventually be dead at the hands of the other Black Knights. Tired of the interrogation, Richard showed the sheriff the Pact of Nottingham and told him that all the Black Knights would pay for treason with their lives. Vaisey had nothing to offer in response, cursing Robin Hood over and over again.

Vaisey taunted with malice, "Blah-di-blah-di-blah! I may be irredeemable, and, of course, everyone agrees with the great King Richard. What about you, the mighty king? You killed Robin Hood, your beloved subject. You killed Hood's friends and proclaimed them traitors, even if you later declared them innocent."

"It is only your fault, and you will pay for that," King Richard snapped angrily.

Vaisey scoffed. "I came here to kill you because I wanted power beyond measure. I am not a perfect man, but I never killed the people who supported me and served me well, unlike you, the lion. Can you, the mighty King, redeem and forgive yourself for what you did to Robin Hood? How do you feel after you betrayed and murdered your most loyal subject?"

"Shut up, you foul traitor!" Richard roared as a tide of inhuman rage coursed through him.

"If I shut up, it will change nothing," the sheriff shot back. "Hood is dead. You killed him. How great! He was so young to die! I like that you, his king, caused his death!"

"Put him on the rack," the king commanded to his men, his tone harsh. "But don't torture him to death. I don't wish to deprive us of entertainment tomorrow."

The King of England chose the most extreme punishment for the Head of the Black Knights Club: the vile man was sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. Richard assembled the guards and made them all watch the end of the evil Sheriff who designed the plan of Robin's downfall, succeeded, and was doomed to die at the order of the same man whom he had planned to kill to please Prince John.

Vaisey was cruelly beaten within the prison's confines. At the king's express wish, the sheriff was put to the rack as they needed information about Vaisey's allies in the Holy Land, but he said nothing and endured the torture. Vaisey had burns and broken ribs, and his entire body was a mass of bruising. His wrists and ankles had scars of chains and manacles.

Although Carter had been delivered to the Crusaders' camp and his wounds were tended by the king's physician, he died in several hours from the huge blood loss. The physician did everything he could for Carter, but the bleeding didn't stop and blood was flowing out of Carter's wounds until the poor man drew his last breath. Like the others, Carter was doomed to die on that tragic day.

The outcome of the regicide attempt was disastrous; Robin and his lady were dead, the others also died in the desert, Carter was almost mortally wounded and Roger was dead. The price of the king's mistake was too high. Robin's unconditional loyalty to the king and England had an extremely high price. The other side of loyalty was a glorious death not only on the battlefield, protecting the king and saving his life, but also a possible death at the king's hand, like it happened to Robin and his friends.

§§§

The next morning, Vaisey was collected from his cell by the guards who roughly grabbed him and dragged him to the place of his execution in the desert. Vaisey tried to resist, but he was so weak that he barely was able to open his eyes and look at the guards. It was quite a long way to his final destination, and the sheriff was hurting from the wounds inflicted on him by his jailors. He wore rags and no longer looked like the powerful and sadistic Sheriff, sneering at his victims and enjoying their screams of agony.

His head pounding and his mind in a daze, Vaisey heard loud voices somewhere nearby. The closer they came to the gallows, the better he could see the outlines and shapes of people in the long rows of seats along the gallows. As they stopped, Vaisey turned his head and looked around; he was met by the sea of hostile faces, scoffing at him and flashing hateful glances in his direction. It was the first time in his life when he was afraid of the gathering crowd, feeling that he only wished to construct a sound barrier that could shelter his ears and eyes from the screams and gazes of his enemies.

Vaisey shivered at the sight of the gallows and two Crusaders with daggers in their arms. With more and more urgent frequency, he realized that it was his end, his mind still struggling to perceive the elements of what his execution would be like. He tortured many prisoners for entertainment and killed many people in cold blood, but he had never suspected that he himself would die on the gallows.

The sheriff was forced to his knees by the two men who held his chained wrists and pressed down on his shoulders. Aware that he could not have resisted had he wished to, he could see only the legs of the people around him. He swore the oath in his mind, cursing Robin Hood who even in death managed to defy him. There was a sudden scurry of movement around, and he heard someone's orders in Norman-French to surround the area. He guessed that King Richard himself would watch the death of his would-be murderer.

Dressed in a royal purple velvet mantle above a white tunic, King Richard stood on the high platform, his eyes taking in the crowd of his men who came to witness Vaisey's execution. For a brief moment, his guilt was plain on his face that turned expressionless in a moment.

Richard promulgated, "Today we gathered here to serve justice by executing the traitor to the crown – Lord Peter Vaisey, the former Sheriff of Nottingham. This man is a traitor and a worm, the lowest scum on earth. Men like him are responsible for the downfalls of kingdoms, the murders of royal and noble families, the most cunning plans of ruining trust and friendship, and the destruction of good and honest souls."

A lethal hush fell over the crowd of the king's men.

"We were saved by Robin of Locksley," Richard continued in a high voice, following the standard royal etiquette in front of all his men. "It is only thanks to God and Robin of Locksley's intervention that this traitor didn't kill your king." He swept his eyes over the crowd of the Crusaders, his gaze focusing at Vaisey. "We strip Lord Peter Vaisey of his knighthood and his peerage and condemn him to the most brutal death."

Richard was cautious as he chose words for his speech, but everyone understood what he meant by accusing Vaisey of devising the most cunning plans that ruined trust and friendship with lethal consciences for the very man whom the king loved and who didn't deserve to die.

King Richard turned his head away, demonstrating the feelings of utter loathing for the traitor. Vaisey was pulled up by the guards and forced to look ahead where the king and his entourage stood. With great effort, Vaisey turned his head, not wishing to keep his eyes open and see the faces of his enemies, but the guard slapped him hard across his cheek; Vaisey opened his eyes and cursed.

The Earl of Leicester gazed down at the small man with the festering hatred in his eyes. He raised his hand and pointed at Vaisey's chest. He hissed, "This man is a high traitor and deserves the most brutal punishment for his evil deeds. This man is nothing and nobody for us. He will rot and burn in hell for everything he did in his pathetic life. His sins cannot be absolved."

"This man will burn in hellfire. His soul is irredeemable," the king said after a short pause. He turned his head and his eyes locked with Vaisey's. "Proceed with the execution."

The guards dragged Vaisey to the gallows, and he began struggling from their iron grip. He wished to have a final word in the battle with the king, and he knew very well how to hurt the lion. "I may die today, but my death won't make you happier, Richard the Lionheart. Robin Hood is dead! His friends and several Crusaders are also dead! You killed them!" he bellowed.

The guards were running out of patience with Vaisey's behavior. A young man slapped the prisoner hard across his face and kicked him in his stomach; the former sheriff whimpered. Another man spat into Vaisey's face and cursed him aloud. The same guard shook Vaisey and slapped him again, making the prisoner roar with pain, his face screwed up in pain as the guards tried to silence him.

Richard understood the prisoner's words very well. He shuddered, hot anger boiling in his veins and suffocating him, anger with himself and with Vaisey and especially with Prince John whose plots killed so many people as they tried to save Richard and England. He knew that he had been guilty; he didn't need to be reminded how guilty he was.

"Execute this traitor! We want him dead!" the king shouted at the top of his lungs. "Don't let him pass out between drawing and quartering. Let him feel and watch."

The guard roughly pressed a hand on Vaisey's mouth to prevent him from speaking. The sheriff was fastened to a wooden panel, drawn by horse to the gallows. Then he was pulled up and carried to the gallows, and the guards brought the noose over the prisoner's head and tightened it, so that there was no chance to slip free from it. The rope was coarse, its mere touch with skin a torture, and Vaisey cringed; his neck arched, and his body was strained as if he were again being pulled to a rack.

Vaisey knew that it was his last chance to look at the king and tell him what else he intended to say. He raised his head and smiled maliciously. He screeched, "King Richard, I may go to hell, but I am still winning because Robin of Locksley is dead, and he was murdered by his beloved king. There might be demons, waiting to suck me in hell, but you, King Richard, will be haunted by Robin Hood until your death!"

"Execute him!" Richard bellowed in rage; his face turned as pale as death itself.

Vaisey laughed. "I have won, King Richard. And you will never forget Robin's death and the reasons for his untimely demise! Hood paid a high price for his loyalty to his precious king!"

Before Vaisey could say another word, the nod was given and a chair was removed from beneath his legs. The sheriff suddenly felt the sand rolling underneath him as he found himself hanging in the air, kicking out with his short legs as he tried to find support.

He was hanged almost to the point of death. As his body was cut down and tumbled to the ground, Vaisey was still barely alive and drew shallow breaths. The guards shook him and poured cold water onto his face to remove him from the slumber; Richard commanded them to keep the sheriff conscious so that he could understand what was happening to him and could feel all the pain during the execution.

With effort, Vaisey half opened his eyes and saw the two men with knives in their arms. He screamed in horror as he was beyond terrified with the upcoming fate. He hated the king and the whole world that he was writhing in a mortal agony. Then the prisoner's body was emasculated, disemboweled, beheaded and chopped into four pieces; the sand was deeply red with the treacherous blood.

The execution was accompanied by the uproar of countless curses and loud, approving screams in English and Norman-French. Nobody pitied Vaisey and there was no mercy for him.

Richard Plantagenet watched each and every second of Vaisey's agony, but he was far away in his thoughts. He remembered his first meeting with Robin at royal court in Poitou many years ago. The image of young Robin – the young handsome and charming man who had quickly become the king's favorite – flashed in his mind. Richard remembered all the times when he called the young captain to his tent and talked to him about the war, home, life, women, and even about his own private life. He remembered Robin's bravery and foolhardiness on the battlefield, which saved Richard's life and the lives of many soldiers. He silently begged Robin and the others to forgive him; he prayed God to grant him forgiveness.

When the execution was over, the king ordered his men to hang the separate parts of the sheriff's corpse on the main Gates of Acre. Vaisey's head was impaled on a spike in front of the king's tent, which the Crusaders didn't understand but obeyed without any question; they didn't know that the king wanted to have a constant reminder of the unsuccessful regicide and of the king's own betrayal of his loyal subjects.

§§§

After Vaisey's execution, Robin Hood, and the outlaws were buried under red Crusader crosses in the area where only important members of the king's private guard were put to eternal rest. As Much requested, Marian and Robin were buried in the same grave. The ever-loyal Much was buried next to Robin and Marian's graves. The others were laid to rest nearby.

All the king's guards gathered to pay last respects to Robin Hood – Robin of Locksley, the Earl of Huntingdon, the former captain of the king's private guard, and the Hero of Acre. King Richard officially announced that Robin and his friends had never been traitors and that he had been deceived by Sheriff Peter Vaisey of Nottingham. Richard officially pardoned and cleared the outlaws of all the charges brought against them in England. He proclaimed Robin Hood and the outlaws the heroes of England and the king's saviors because they had spoken about the plot against him and in fact had saved him. Carter and Roger, who were killed on their way to save the outlaws, were also honored as heroes.

But Richard's actions couldn't change the fact that Robin was dead and that he had been murdered by his liege. Everyone inwardly shuddered at the thought that Robin's devotion and loyalty to the king had led him to such a gruesome and undeserved death. The fact that Robin of all loyal knights – the king's close friend, chief general, and savior – became the victim of the king's mistake was outrageous. If Robin could be considered a wretched traitor only because of hearsay, it was clearly possible that everyone could be executed without solid proof of guilt.

King Richard was sullen and somber during the whole burial. He spoke a long speech in the honor of Robin and promised to never forget his most loyal subject and close friend. Inside, the king was breaking as he was praying to God to give Robin eternal peace and happiness in heaven with the only woman he had ever loved with all his heart. The king repented that he had been so foolish and that he hadn't believed Robin when he had first come to the camp yesterday. If he could have taken his decision back, he would have done that at any price, but it was impossible.

The King of England stood near Robin and Marian's grave, watching the burial. Marian and Robin's bodies were wrapped into Richard's own red and gold velvet mantles; the king gave his mantles to his beloved soldier and his lady as a sign of his love, grief, and repentance. Moreover, the king himself carried Robin's body to the grave, while the Earl of Leicester carried Marian's body. King Richard sent his men to Acre to bring beautiful baskets of fresh flowers for the funeral.

The King of England was overwhelmed with guilt. The deceased lady was Robin's wife in the eyes of God, and it increased the king's intolerable guilt. The dead people were Robin's friends. And he killed everyone. "_I killed my dear Robin and all these men who came to save me_," Richard thought, torn by the tormenting feelings of grief, guilt, and disbelief. He swept his eyes over the sandy dunes, and then his gaze fixed on Robin's grave. "_Robin, forgive me, my friend. My own arrogance, stupidity, ignorance, and pride led you, my ever-loyal Robin, to your tragic death. I beg you to forgive me if your gentle and kind soul may absolve my mortal sin_." Robin was his most loyal subject, his close friend, and one of his best generals.

"May God forgive me for what I did to you, Robin, and to your friends," the king thought. As Robin couldn't hear him and, hence, he couldn't say these words to his favorite knight, he was having an internal monolog with himself. "I failed you, my friend. I failed your friends. I took your lives while you deserved to live because England needed you and because I needed you." He bowed his head in sorrow. "God let me atone for the deaths I caused."

Robin and Marian watched their own funeral from heaven. It saddened them that they had been put to rest in the desert instead of the graveyard in Locksley. Nevertheless, their final resting place was near the graves of their friends, and that made their longing for England less sharp.

Marian looked at Robin. "How do you feel, handsome?"

Robin shot a bright, cheeky grin that had always charmed her. "My darling, I am happier here than on earth. There is no war here. Here we can truly be together."

"Really? You are happy that we died in the desert?" she blurted, her expression surprised.

"Yes, I am, my love." He laughed again. And she knew that he told her the truth.

A look of incredulity crossed her face. "Well, it is unexpected to hear that from you."

Robin looked into her sapphire blue eyes, his own pale blue eyes shimmering with imps of mirth. "Marian, I spent so many years without you at my side. I went to the war because I wanted to become a stronger man, worthy of your love. I chose glory over a family life with you, and then I realized what a great mistake I did and what a fool I was."

She smiled at him, sweetly but with a touch of teasing, a joyful sparkle in her eyes. "You told me about that in the cave where I lay after I had robbed Guy and he had stabbed me."

Robin smiled wistfully. "I will never forget that night, my love! It was the first time when I felt so close to you after our long separation." He heaved a sigh. "And then I thought that you were dead, and my world died as well. At that moment, I realized that I wouldn't be able to live without you!"

Marian laughed brightly. "How very clever of you to say this now when we are dead!"

Robin darted a doleful glance towards her. "That day, I was lost because I could never see you again as long as I lived. I hated death then." Then his face split into a mischievous grin. "But trust me, now I think that being dead is even better than alive."

"It is not too bad to be dead," she retorted with a little laugh.

Wishing to be frank with his love and wife, Robin denuded his heart. "I survived on the Crusade only because I dreamed of you and your beautiful, serene face: you guided me through darkness to light. I returned to England with the only hope – to live in peace for the rest of my life and with you as my wife. However, everything went terribly wrong, and, instead of peace, I found another war. I am proud that we were fighting for justice, and I don't regret that I defied the sheriff." His lips twitched ever so lightly. "The only thing that made me happy upon my arrival was your unmarried status and then the news about our son. I was the happiest man when I finally saw our golden boy."

"I was angry with you for leaving me. I didn't inform you that I was with child, and this is my fault," she said apologetically.

"You are forgiven, my love. I thought we have already discussed that."

She gave her a playful smile. "And you are forgiven for leaving me and going to the war."

He winked at her. "Thank you."

Marian looked down at Richard and frowned; she still blamed Richard for their tragic demise. "Do you think the king will take care of our son after Much asked him to do that?"

He nodded. "Marian, Richard is really shocked with what he did to us. I heard what he said near our grave, and I don't hate him. I have to confess that I was furious and even hated him when we were dying in the desert, but later my anger subsided."

"Robin, I still don't understand why the king sentenced you – his most loyal subject, his friend, and his savior – to death. This is ridiculous."

Robin heaved a sigh. "Richard is an impulsive and intemperate man. The sheriff invented a cunning and convincing tale for him. He heard that he would be betrayed by someone whom he trusted and loved, and he believed that I could be a foul traitor when we arrived in the camp. He loved and loves me very much, and the thought of my betrayal enraged and hurt him so much that he went berserk with rage and made a very wrong decision." He grinned slightly. "Believe me, Marian, that Richard wholeheartedly regrets that he sentenced us to dead; especially me."

"The king definitely looks upset," she agreed, staring down at the distraught monarch.

Robin gave a nod. "It is true. Richard is grieving our deaths. He feels very guilty of killing us, and he will do everything to honor my memory and protect our legacy."

Marian smiled. "Do you mean our dear son?"

"Yes," Robin confirmed with a large smile. "He will take care of our little Robin."

Her blue eyes twinkled, a slow, enchanting smile hovering over her lips. "Then we may be happy and be at peace here, watching our son from heaven."

He smiled. "Yes."

Marian glanced at Robin searchingly. "Robin, do you still think that you are bound to Richard by unbreakable ties of gratitude and unconditional fealty?"

He laughed and pushed her hair back from her forehead, cupping her face in his hands. "Marian, I am happy that Richard is alive. I would never wish his death. I have forgiven Richard."

She donned her most sincere expression. "I have forgiven him too. After all, you are with me."

"And I will never leave you again."

Marian felt his strong arms wrapping around her slim waist. He pressed her to his chest and kissed the nape of her head. She raised her head and stared up at him, at her husband, and she smiled, her eyes flashing with love and happiness that they were together.

"I love you, Robin," she said softly.

Robin stared down at her, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. His eyes were blue unfathomable pools, radiating mirth. "I love you, Marian," he murmured.

"Life showed us the true extent of our need for each other," Robin said softly, stroking her hair and smiling with a slow, shiver-inducing smile. "Life was too short for us to be together, my love. No matter how long I could have been with you, it would never be enough. Eventually, you and I are together forever, and nobody will take you from me."

"We have an eternity to be together, handsome," Marian said, a content smile playing about her sensual lips, tears of happiness slipping down her cheeks. His arms tightened around her and she felt his throat work as he swallowed. "Need to be together is a violent thing in our case."

"I know," Robin said, his eyes twinkling with joy. "Forever together."

§§§

"Ah! The great Robin Hood is dead. His sweetheart is also dead," a familiar baritone spoke.

Robin and Marian swung around and stared at Guy of Gisborne, their expressions confused. Guy was smiling, his steel blue eyes piercing them. Guy laughed as Robin's eyes grew impossibly wide in astonishment. Guy didn't change much in the afterlife, except that he didn't wear black leather and was dressed in a white doublet and white flat pants.

"Gisborne," Robin forced the word to come out.

Marian blinked in amazement. "Guy!"

"I repented of my sins and God had mercy on my lost soul. My parents prayed for me and impetrated God to forgive me," Guy enlightened.

"Oh," Robin breathed.

Guy laughed. "Didn't expect me to be in heaven after my death?"

Startled, Robin, each moment a lesson in bewilderment, glanced at his childhood nemesis with confusion in his eyes. "Actually, I have never imagined that." He grinned. "I am pleased that you are no longer able to harm innocents. Who killed you?"

"King Richard stabbed me in my stomach in a fight," Guy responded.

Robin's eyes shone bright, imagining the picture of Guy's demise and understanding the twist of fate that mocked them all. "Well, Gisborne, this was truly a good day to die. It is symbolical that the very man whom you wanted to kill for so long personally killed you."

Guy glanced at Robin, smirking at the younger man. "Do I need to remind you that your precious King murdered you and your friends, ignoring all the good things you had done for him? You paid an extreme price for your loyalty to this stupid man," he parried with a mocking smile.

"Gisborne, you paid a high price for your misguided loyalty to Vaisey," Robin shot back.

"Stop this argument! Stop!" Marian cried out. "The price of our loyalty was death, whether we were misguided or not. It seems that King Richard took everyone's life on that day, except my life as Vaisey was the one who brought me into the desert."

Guy clenched his fists. "Damn Vaisey. He will rot in hell!"

The dark irony of the situation was that the fatal love triangle of Robin, Marian, and Guy had been finally untangled by the most important man in England – King Richard the Lionheart himself, whom Robin and Marian craved to protect and whom Guy wished to assassinate.

Robin shrugged. "Vaisey deceived the king, and the kings are always alarmed with respect to everything that may kill or harm them. It hurts very much if those whom they trust and love the most are suspected of treason. Ultimately, it is Vaisey's fault that we died, although I cannot say that the king is a sheer innocence." He grinned. "Anyway, Vaisey is dead. We watched his execution; he died a cruel, shameful, and painful death."

"We will never meet with the sheriff because he is already in hell," Marian stated with devilish confidence. "And this is exactly what he deserves."

"Vaisey is undoubtedly in hell." Guy nodded, curving his lips into a smile. "He deserved that."

"Ha!" Robin thundered. "I didn't think that you can say that about your master."

"I have always hated Vaisey. I worked for him only to have power," Guy said truthfully.

Marian raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Was power worth that, Guy?"

"No," Guy answered firmly.

She smiled. "I am glad you have realized that in the end."

"I feel that I am happier dead than alive. I am free now." Guy flashed a charming smile.

"I am glad that you finally see the difference between the good and the bad," Robin affirmed. He smiled, still perplexed and disbelieving. "Marian was right that you can become a better man."

Guy smiled and brushed a lock of his black hair from his forehead. "The goodness was buried in my heart many years ago, in my early youth. Now I regret that it took me so much time to realize the true values in the world, what is right and what is wrong. Nevertheless, I am relieved that my soul wasn't doomed to burn in hellfire forever."

"I am astounded," Robin confessed. "And I congratulate you with your realizations."

"Thank you, Hood," Guy retorted.

"Welcome, Gisborne," Robin replied.

Guy chuckled, looking at Robin's arm encircling Marian's waist. "Ah, our lovebirds reunited in heaven." His gaze slid to Marian's face. "I have always suspected that you still loved Locksley. I feared that I would lose you to him since his return from the Crusade. I feared that your affection might have been easily rekindled, but I pushed these thoughts aside."

Robin looked amused, cocked his head and glanced at Guy, his gaze intense, his expression impudent and proud. "You were right, Gisborne. We have always loved each other."

Guy laughed. "Hood, you are so full of yourself and so cocky, as always."

Marian shot Robin a discontented look. "Robin!"

"I am here, my love," Robin nearly sang, his arm tightening around her waist. He flashed a grin like a Cheshire cat. "And where will be the fun without that?"

"It is alright. I am accustomed to Locksley's cheeky grins, insolent jesting, and constant mocking," Guy conciliated, his voice calm and steady. "We are dead, and nothing will change that. Now it doesn't matter who and why used and toyed with you when you were alive."

Marian blushed, at once feeling sick of guilt that she wasn't frank with Guy. "Guy, I am so sorry. I care for you, always, but not in the same way I care for Robin."

"So it wasn't all a lie?" Guy inquired with a gusty little sigh.

She shook her head. "No, it wasn't. I didn't lie that I cared for you. I saw goodness in you, and I wanted you to change. I thought that you were misguided and needed to change your allies. I wanted you to break from the sheriff's clutches and become your own man." She paused and stared at Robin, her gaze half apologetic as she prepared for a little testimony. "If everything hadn't turned terribly wrong before the sheriff's spectacle with an imposter as the king and if I hadn't loved Robin so much, we could have been together, Guy. I admit I could have grown to love you, but only under different circumstances, probably in another life."

She glared at Robin, expecting to see him furious and jealous as she said the truth; but Robin looked unexpectedly calm and content, contemplating the situation.

Guy was bewildered. "If I had started doing right things before you left me at the altar?"

Marian inclined her head in acknowledgment. "Yes."

Guy gave them a cool smirk. "Now it doesn't matter. We are at peace."

"We are at peace," Robin echoed. "No more lies and games. No more fighting and uncovering sophisticated plots. No more anxiety, hatred, and jealousy." A blithesome smile illuminated his handsome features. "I must say that it is the most amazing sensation I have ever had."

Marian smiled radiantly. "There are only peace, tranquility, and happiness here."

Guy observed them with a twinkle in his eyes, then laughed. "You are made from the same cloth. Two idealists and fighters who finally found peace in heaven." He smiled kindly. "Now it is time to part our ways. Farewell, Robin Hood and the Nightwatchman."

Marian caught her breath and smiled. "Goodbye, Guy."

Robin smiled with a smile that reached his eyes. "Farewell, Gisborne." He felt strangely pleased that he had eventually reached a truce with Gisborne, even if it happened in the afterlife.

Marian and Robin observed the Guy's retreating back; then they looked at the crowd of Crusaders who bowed their heads in grief and respect to the tragically deceased heroes.

Looking at the grave of Robin and Marian, King Richard squeezed his eyes shut as guilt lanced through him. When he opened his eyes, his expression was grave. He proclaimed in a high voice thick with emotion, "The memory of Robin and his friends will live forever! They are England's greatest heroes and will never be forgotten! Our love for them will live in our hearts forever!"

The Earl of Leicester declared, "Everlasting glory and eternal peace to Sir Robin of Locksley, the honorable Earl of Huntingdon and the legendary Robin Hood! Eternal glory to all these brave and good people who died for their king and for England."

"May the memory of them live forever," the Crusaders said together.

"_Anima Quiescat in Christo. Ad__perpetuam__rei__memoriam_," the priest said in Latin.

The Crusaders wore gloomy expressions, all of them watching the king's stony face and having the same thought: their liege accused of treason and ordered the execution of the man whom he loved the most among his subjects. Everyone understood that in sober fact the king had betrayed Robin's loyalty to him, but, of course, nobody said a word aloud. Nevertheless, it was an unusually remarkable lesson for everyone as it showed what Richard could have done to those who served him with perfect devotion and loved him.

King Richard continued staring at Marian and Robin's grave, his eyes vacant. He felt immensely guilty of killing his most loyal soldier and his friends. He should have been more rational and less intemperate; he should have realized that he hadn't had any true evidence against Robin, excluding the words of Saladin's envoy whom he had never seen before. His heart was writhing in the throes of anguish. He knew that he would never forgive himself for his mistake. He would mourn for Robin and his friends forever.

Marian sucked in a soft breath as she saw the raw pain in Richard's eyes. "I think King Richard is terribly hurting, and I do pity him. He will never forgive himself."

They stared at each other a long moment. His breath was coming as shallowly as hers.

"Yeah, I have forgiven King Richard," Robin said confidently. "I don't want to sound vengeful, for I still admire and respect Richard as my king, but I am glad that he is sick of guilt and it serves him well. He received a great lesson and will never make the same mistake again."

Marian's face remained impassive as she gave a barely perceivable shrug. "Who knows what the king will learn? Richard easily loses his temper and his anger clouds his judgment. In the end, innocent people die, and he blames himself for his mistakes and reckless decisions."

"Let's leave to history and future generations to judge King Richard," Robin retorted, his voice patient and undisturbed; then he winked at her. "We have more pleasant things on agenda."

Marian smiled at him, knowing what he wanted. She didn't answer, and he didn't want her to speak. He wanted all their time free of anything but her smile and laugh and something more. He took a step towards her and scooped her into his arms, every curve of her voluptuous body perfectly fitting his body, her flesh warm and soft and tender as living water.

Robin kissed Marian on the lips, and she returned the ardent kiss with pure delight and hunger for more. They kept their eyes open as they kissed, each of them feeling. In heaven, at last, they could truly open their hearts to each other and enjoy sheer happiness forever. They will hold each other forever; love will be forever in their hearts. They were in the bliss that would last forever.

And so the legend of Robin Hood, the most heroic and famous outlaw in England, began. Robin Hood's spirit lived in each and every part of Sherwood Forest and in all the brave and honest people who embraced his ideas and were determined to fight for justice and peace in the land of England.

Robin Hood would live in Robin and Marian's legacy – their son, young Robin of Locksley, the Earl of Huntingdon and Lord of Locksley, who grew up under King Richard's protection as a ward of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine; then he became the best archer and an outstanding swordsman, like his legendary father. The spirit of Robin Hood would live throughout centuries in ballads and legends about the merry men and their heroic leader who wore Lincoln green clothes and robbed from the rich and gave to the poor.

* * *

_I hope that you liked this story. Was it heartbreaking? What it tragic? I think it was to a great extent._

_I have always wondered what would happen if Robin died in the desert and King Richard survived. I have wondered for a long time what Richard could have felt and thought after Robin's death at the order of his beloved King. The above pushed me to write this long and tragic story._

_I paid a lot of attention to King Richard's POV and thoughts after Robin's tragic death. The king was overwhelmed with guilt and sorrow. Richard is a flawed character in the show, for he is shown as a stupid jerk who was ready to execute his beloved Robin, and I think that I described Richard's emotional turmoil quite close to the one he might have had if Robin had indeed died because of his mistake._

_Robin and Marian are shipped in heaven. I hope Guy's fans are not angry at me. If I hadn't planned to make the end of Robin, Marian, and the outlaws so tragic, I would have written something about Marian being torn between Robin and Guy. Yet, I don't see any other alternative for Marian at the stage when they were tied up in the desert and were waiting for death. And, of course, Marian undoubtedly loved Robin, although I don't think that they were a perfect match, but they were quite good for each another._

_I hope you liked the heartbreaking scene of the king's last conversation with dying Much. I wanted to give tribute to Much's utter loyalty to Robin, not the king and England, as Much spoke to the king and told him everything he felt for his liege and thought of what had happened to them. I wanted someone to be brave and throw the accusation of killing Robin and the outlaws into the king's face, and Much was an ideal candidate for that. Much is a hero in this scene as he doesn't fear to say everything to the monarch._

_I introduced the unexpected twist of Robin and Marian having a son to let Robin Hood's legacy outlive the hero after the undeserved deaths of Robin and Marian and give the readers a sweetener after a great shock with the deaths of Robin and the outlaws in the desert._

_Robin, Marian, and Guy had a long-awaited reconciliation in the afterlife. They needed a minute of frankness and honesty in the very end, even if they were dead at that time. Marian even says that she could have grown to love Guy if the circumstances were different._

_Maybe you noticed that Robin thought of his death in the Holy Land as the punishment for his unholy deeds he had committed during the Crusade. Robin realized, fully and clearly, that the Crusade was not a holy thing at all, and he repented of going to the Holy Land and killing so many people, which is consistent with the philosophy of Robin Hood. Robin also realized that his fanatical loyalty to King Richard led him and his friends to death; he had a kind of disillusionment with his precious King in the final moments of his life. Guy also had a chance to realize his mistakes before his death; he symbolically looked at the sky above him and thought that he had been misguided during his entire life._

_I struggled to find a good title for this story, and then a thought of loyalty popped into my head. Robin died because of his loyalty to the king who didn't deserve Robin's devotion (at least in this story). Guy died because of his misplaced loyalty to the wrong man – to Vaisey. Loyalty can be rewarded, but it can also result in death at the order of the king in Robin's case and at the hand of the same king whom someone, in our case Guy, wants to for power and wealth. Loyalty has its price._

_Thank you for reading his story. I would be very grateful for reviews, including constructive criticism._


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